While debate still wages over the precise location of the tribal custodians of the Granite Belt, we can be sure that there were Aboriginal people occupying the area before the arrival of European settlers. Artefacts, paintings and sites of cultural significance (ie bora rings and camp sites) are dotted across the area that indicate the presence of Aboriginal peoples. Different sources claim different tribal boundaries of the area, making it hard to determine whether one tribe overlapped and took over an area that previously belonged to another, or whether three different tribes met on the Granite Belt.

Local resident Frank Vichie was cited as seeing bora rings near Amosfield, and historian Jean Harslett also states that there were bora rings on the ridge behind Hopgood Lane at The Summit, on the spur towards Mount Donaldson, and numerous ones at Ballandean Station. These rings dated back to before the 1840's. Farming practices such as planting and ploughing over the areas have meant that these rings are no longer detectable. (The Stannum Miner, Stanthorpe Historical Society, June 2011)

The Kambu Wal tribe is said to have had an eastern boundary from Wallangarra, east of Stanthorpe, then following a fairly direct line to near Milmerran, covering an area of an average width of 56 kilometres (as cited in Ballandean, Fletcher, Johanson et al, 1959).

The Keinjan tribe is also said to have covered the Stanthorpe area, as well as Leyburn and Allora, east to the ranges, and south into the headwaters of the Clarence River in New South Wales (Barbara Laws, citing Jack Pincott in Memories of Killarney & District, Killarney & District Historical Society Inc, 1999).

To the east, the Githabul people (a clan of Bundjalung) also lived on the land. A current Native Title determination for the Githabul people has recognised their claims to land east of Liston and across to the coastal area around Lismore in 9 national parks and 13 state forests.

Stone tools - such as axeheads, grinding stones, and cutting rocks - have been found in the Granite Belt, many of them on display at Girraween National Park. One particular rock has been identified as originating from Papua New Guinea, and has obviously been used in barter between tribes over the years, gradually making its way to the Queensland border. Camping places, rock markings and marked trees in Girraween National Park are also evidence of Aboriginal occupation in years past.

 A story recounted in The Stanthorpe Border Post tells of an incident relating to Aborigines of the area. Matthew Henry Marsh, his brother CW Marsh, Charles Perrot, and another, camped on the present site of Maryland (15km east of Stanthorpe) on 17th January, 1842:

"Their arrival there synchronised with the camping, in the immediate vicinity, of some 500 wild blacks. Diverse reports of serious disturbances between whites and blacks engendered fear for their safety among the Marsh party. In fact, so much so that the four young men indulged in portions of "firewater" to provoke within them the necessary courage as befitted the occasion. None slept, and towards break of day they became so overjoyed and merry through not being molested and possibly in a minor degree from their indulgences, that they called the place "Merrylands". However, learning that there was already a Merrylands near Sydney, the Marsh party altered it to Maryland." (cited in They Came to a Plateau, Harslett and Royle, 1972)

Obviously many Aboriginal people lived in the area, even if only in the warmer months of the year. Mrs Ethelyn Bonner, a member of the Githabul clan, says she believes the group mentioned in the above recount would have been Githabul people.

During the 1840's squatters moved from New South Wales to the granite belt. Aboriginal people had their land taken from them, and if any refused to let go of their territory, they were often hunted and killed. "There is no information available relating to the KAMBU WAL tribe of the Ballandean district. The Natives had been killed or had died before anyone thought of the desirability of learning something about them." (Ballandean, Fletcher, Johanson et al, 1959, p7)

Various place names in the Stanthorpe area are Aboriginal words but there is no evidence these words were actually used by the local indigenous people for the areas named.

Bookookoorara - Aboriginal word describing noise made by a possum (ref. Mrs Dick Rickard)
Boonoo Boonoo - meaning country with no animals or food.  A member of the Boorook tribe told Mr G Purvis a second meaning was 'Big Rock' referred to Bald Rock in the district.
Girraween - meaning 'Place of Flowers'
Kyoomba - meaning 'Place of the Dawn' (ref. M Hannigan)
Thulimbah - meaning 'Place of Water' in reference to springs
Wallangarra - meaning 'long waterhole'
Wyberba - meaning 'at the end of the mountain'
Kilpa Street - meaning 'cool', proposed by Mrs Rose Denyer

(source: They Came to a Plateau, Harslett and Royle, 1972, pp 195 - 202)

There are many photos of bark buildings in the early era of Stanthorpe's history. But  little recognition is given to the fact that stripping trees of bark for building materials was a new skill adopted by the Europeans from Aboriginal practices.

It is commonly accepted by historians that the Aboriginal way of managing the land - living sustainably from its flora and fauna, and using controlled grass fires - had lower impact on Australia's environment than the European customs. Overstocking of land with hoofed mammals has contributed to erosion and soil impaction. Mass agriculture with chemical run-off, damming of rivers and depletion of soil nutrients has also affected our land's ability to cope and flourish. Surely the Aboriginal people were Australia's first conservationists, in a time when the idea was largely unknown to the Western World.